Justin Bieber vs Guns 'n' Roses (Sex Pistols and Monkees)

Singer?

My friend Kaz has just taken offence that Justin Bieber has Dreadlocks . I am amazed the amount of offence this guy causes . I can't sauy I have listened to his stuff, I saw him on Graham Norton and found him annoying , a bit like Little Jimmy Osmond singing "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool", but Bieber is an easy target , he sells records (or downloads) by the truckload and can probably have any girl he wants .... which a sort of definition for a rock star.



Then you get Guns 'n' Roses reforming and people going on about how important they are. To me they made one half decent album , I'm ok with em apart from their anagramatic singer , and their main legacy seems to be that they turned up very late for gigs and showed inordinate disdain for their fans.

I am old enough to be a great grandad , and remember parents getting offended at the music I listened to and the clothes I wore. I now get offended when I see kids  wearing Sex Pistols , Nirvana and Ramones T-Shirts because they think they are clothing brands. I don't know if attitudes have changed, I certainly am not your average parent  when it comes to music. One thing to remember is the Sex Pistols were as manufactured as Bieber, like the Monkees and in fact The Sex Pistols covered a Monkees song almost in acknowledgement , so I have included that here.

But I have come to this conclusion, Justin Bieber continues to cause offence and annoy people sell records and get the girls, Guns 'n' Roses reform and their best numbers are cover versions , so it seems to be Bieber embodies the spirit of rock and roll a lot more than most of your classic rock bands.

I still haven't listened to anything by him

Have a great Tuesday everybody

Colouring Outside The Lines - #33 - 1989 - Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning

Colour

I don't know what brought this phrase to mind , but it seems that lots of people are enjoying colouring in some fairly complex and difficult colouring books. It's a great way of relaxing , but I would not be able to do it at all. I would stray outside the lines , not be able to match colours and eventually get bored. It's just that we are all different and different things stimulate and relax us. Free form drawing and playing is incredibly relaxing, but in 60 years I have never been able to find any non musicians to jam with . Of course as soon as you start then you learn to play better and I can play bit's of stuff , but sometimes I am naturally collaborative and other times I have to be on my own. Maybe something will happen maybe it wont, but we never know what tomorrow might bring.


Anyway the musical journey continues into year 33 , 1989 and although Guns 'n' Roses hit the charts with some fine songs and an idiot frontman , the vote has to go to Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil great music , a political conscience and a great frontman. Could Peter Garrett front  Guns 'n' Roses , now there's a thought.

Anyway enjoy your Friday , the weekend is coming and great things await us all.

The Greatest Riff of All

Was just reading a review of the latest re-issue of Jethro Tull's Aqualung , which posited that the opening riff of the title track was the most arresting and best rock riff of the seventies , out riffing even Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water".

Once you start thinking of this lots of thinks start crawling out of the woodwork , such as "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes , "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin  , any number of Black Sabbath and Hawkwind songs.

Above is a carousel of albums and here is a Grooveshark playlist featuring ten great riffs (in my opinion).